Tigers 5
Dodgers 4

recap:

• Detroit swept the Dodgers out of town in exciting fashion Sunday. Of course Tigers fans were not looking for excitement, as Detroit was the team with a 5-0 lead in the ninth inning and the game ended a lot closer than that. But we’ll take it.
• I’ve noticed a lot of people putting their hands in the air in pictures this weekend. Tiger, Tiger, Kobe, Dale Earnhardt Jr
• Brandon Inge
• Nate Robertson: 6 innings, 4 runs, 47 minute rain delay to think about it in the middle
• Marcus Thames homered again. It seems like a daily thing lately. Thames plays, Thames homers. On the home stand, almost every hit has been a homer for him. That was the case today. His only hit was the long ball.
• Thames and Ingey homered back-to-back.
• Miguel Cabrera helped turn a double play. He also had two hits. That makes 14 in the 10-game homestand, including four multi-hit games.
• Edgar Renteria and Placido Polanco and Brent Clevlen also had two hits apiece.
• Carlos Guillen had three, to show them all how it’s done.
• But in the ninth, Bobby Seay gave up a couple hits, including a home run that ended the Tigers’ chances of a second shutout for the season. Todd Jones got the save. But it was a bit ugly.
• The Tigers won 6 straight and 8 of 10 on a successful homestand.
• Daily Fungo Mike enjoyed the only Starbucks in the Upper Peninsula and his visit to Marquette. It was good to meet a fellow Tigers bloggers. Now the rest of you need a U.P. vacation.

Analysis:

• Detroit has battled back after I (and many others) wrote it off.  They are only six games out of first,  1.5 out of second and .5 out of third after the home stand. Always glad to be wrong when that’s the case. If the Tigers can keep this up, and frankly, the schedule gives them a really nice chance at doing so, I’d say they will have completed their comeback to significance in the division.
• They are playing better baseball. That’s why they’re winning. Before, they weren’t playing good baseball. They lost. It’s that simple. I see no reason to believe they’ll return to bad baseball, from the defensive side of things anyway. I think everyone has settled into their new roles. Guillen is playing better at third. Cabrera is playing better at first.
• I trust 4 out of the 5 starting pitchers right now. The bullpen is decent (sans seay’s performance) and getting better with the return of Rodney and Zumaya.
• I feel positive about the Tigers again. It’s a good feeling.

Tigers 5
Dodgers 0

Recap:

• The winning streak is now four.
• But the three Central Division teams above Detroit in the standings also won, so the Tigers made up no ground.
• Armando Galarraga and Freddy Dolsi combined for a 3-hit shutout.
• Galarraga struck out five in seven inning and walked one.
• Dolsi didn’t allow a baserunner in the final two innings to earn his second major league save.
• Marcus Thames homered, his ninth.
• Michael Hollimon got an RBI, his career first, on a sac fly to left. (Also his first career start, subbing for Edgar Renteria at 2nd base).
• Carlos Guillen didn’t enjoy getting hit by a pitch. His teammates had his back. (See Spotstarters, Jason Beck for more)
• And Magglio Ordonez made the Dodgers pay by hitting a two-run homer to drive Guillen in.
• The Tigers improved to 30-37.

Analysis:

• We know Detroit likes to play (and beat up on) National League teams. Unfortunately so does the rest of the division. But I guess you can’t worry about them when your own team is 7 games under .500.
• I enjoy a good baseball tussle as much as the next guy, but I don’t really see the need from the Tigers’ point of view. Everything is going well. The team is winning, FINALLY. No need to get anyone suspended or hurt.
• Galarraga is really pushing to keep his bid for most valuable Tiger alive. Challenged by Verlander’s complete game, Galarraga put together maybe his best game in Detroit — and he’s been pretty good.
• And Freddy Dolsi obviously doesn’t want to be the one sent back to Toledo when Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney come off the disabled list. I don’t think he should be either. Keep this kid in Detroit. He’s still learning. He’s a rookie. But he’ OK by me most nights, which is more than I can say for a few other relievers.
• Baseball’s fun when you’re winning, isn’t it?

Injury update:

• Rodney may come off the disabled list as soon as Sunday night after a solid two-inning performance in Toledo, Friday. My guess is Casey Fossum, the third left-hander in a three lefty bullpen tandem, gets sent down.